Chapter 9

Glenna let Harry lead her down to the pond. She knew what he had in mind, but she needed to put some things to rest. Especially after her talk with her father and her lingering doubts. This needed to be settled before she let herself be drawn into the passion that was so strong between them. If she let him put his lips or hands on her then she’d never get her worries addressed.

As he spread out the blanket and settled on it, she moved to stand at the foot and looked out over the pond and into the park beyond. She felt him rise and come up behind her and wrap his arms around her.

“What’s bothering you, Glenna? I can feel the tension rolling off you.” He whispered into her neck.

She sighed and turned into his embrace. “We need to talk before you get me all hot and bothered, again.”

She looked up into his eyes which looked more blue than gray in the light of an almost full moon.

“This sounds serious. Let’s go settle on the blanket so we can be more comfortable and talk about whatever you need to talk about.”

She let him lead her by the hand back to the blanket, and when they were settled on their sides facing each other, she took a deep breath and voiced her concerns. “I want to be able to fully commit to you, Harry. I know where this relationship is heading, at least I think I do, but there are a few things keeping me from allowing us to move in that direction.”

Harry’s brow wrinkled in concern and she wanted nothing more than to remove those worry lines by kissing them each away. But what if he was lying to her? She had to be sure. “I’m going to tell you my concerns and I want you to listen ‘til I’m done, okay?”

He nodded and said. “I’ll try, but I want to address them when you’re done. I want us to move forward, and if this is what we need to do for that to happen, then I’ll spend all night talking.”

She smiled and put her hand on his cheek. “Thank you. Here is the problem. I’ve spent so many years convinced you were lying to me about wanting to be Mayor. Then, once we seem to get over our misunderstanding, you tell me another lie. When I mentioned the video, you told me you never drank; yet, I’ve seen you drink. You have a drink every time we go out. You had wine at my house last night and again at dinner tonight, so I’m worried. If you’ll lie to me about drinking, are you lying to me about wanting to be Mayor?”

Harry waited for her to go on and when she didn’t, he asked, “Can I respond now, or is there more?”

“You can respond. I know I’m being ridiculous, my dad even told me I was, but I can’t seem to help it, Harry.”

He pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay, Glenna, I understand. No one thinks I’m serious about not being the next Mayor of Phantom Horse. God, I hate calling our town that, it seems so ridiculous, but I don’t want to be Mayor. As for the drinking thing, I never meant I didn’t have a beer, or a couple of glasses of wine, or even an occasional mixed drink, or shot. I meant I never drink like I did that night. That was the first time I’ve ever been drunk, and it will be the last. I don’t know what else I can do to convince you I’m not lying to you. I’ll never lie to you, Glenna. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I promise you, I’ll never intentionally tell you anything that isn’t true. Please don’t hold a job I don’t want against me. Please, believe in me, like I believe in you. I could be as suspicious of you as you are of me. After all, you say you’ve wanted to be mine since high school, but you’ve only ever ridiculed and railed at me. I’m believing you, can’t you believe me?”

Glenna pulled back and looked into his eyes. “I had a reason. Every day when those girls you hung out with came into the locker room and talked about the things you did to them under the bleachers and on dates, I knew you’d never want a girl like me.”

She watched as Harry’s face clouded with confusion. “What are you talking about? I never went under the bleachers with any of them, well one of them, but when she told me what she wanted I told her that was never going to happen. There was only one girl I ever wanted to do any of those things with. There still is only one girl I want to do those things with. You!”

“I know, Mysti told me the other day they were lying. But I didn’t know that and every tale of how you used them, made me madder. I figured you just assumed it was your right as the prince of Gladstone.”

Harry pulled her close and kissed her softly and gently. “Glenna, the only girl, now woman, for me is you. Forever. You already own my heart. Please let me have yours.”

Glenna pulled him into her lips and gave herself over to the passion she’d kept in check.

“Yes, Harry, I’ll give you my heart. Now and forever.” She pulled him closer to her and later when he suggested they call it a night, she refused to stop giving him everything she had to give. Knowing he was hers for all eternity with or without a ring.

******

Harry woke to a warm body pressed up against his. He smiled as last night came flooding back into his mind. Glenna had given herself to him and then spent the night wrapped in his arms. Everything had changed. He had tried to hold to his promise, but she had made it plain she wasn’t going to take no for an answer and if he was honest, he hadn’t wanted to say no either. But now he knew she’d given him her heart and soul just like he’d done her. Today’s trip was more important than ever. He needed to find the perfect ring and put it on her finger. He needed to hear her say she’d be his forever, his lover, partner, wife, and mother to his children. He needed to see his ring on her finger and his family name attached to hers. He felt her stir in her sleep and he leaned down to kiss her where her neck and jaw met just under her ear. “MMMM, that feels nice.”

He smiled “Good morning Goddess.”